Arlis Kay Perry (née Dykema; February 22, 1955 – October 12, 1974)[1] was a newlywed 19-year-old North Dakota native who was killed in Stanford Memorial Church on the grounds of Stanford University on October 12, 1974. Her murder remains unsolved.[2]


Perry was found murdered in the church in the early morning hours of October 13, 1974.[3] Perry went to church at around 11:30 p.m. the previous night after an argument with her husband. Perry was sexually assaulted with altar candles but was not raped.[4] An ice pick was found jammed deep into the base of her skull during autopsy.[5]


David Berkowitz, the notorious "Son of Sam" killer from New York City, mentioned the Perry murder in a few letters, suggesting that he heard details of the crime from "Manson II", the culprit. In the San Jose Mercury News, Jessie Seyfer noted that "investigators interviewed [Berkowitz] in prison and now believe he has nothing of value to offer" regarding the Perry case.[6]


Perry's widower, Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, is a clinician and researcher in children's mental health and the neurosciences, and an internationally recognized authority on children in crisis.

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